Getting old is not good for your health

[HueyPilotVN]

I have an update that I believe is hopeful for a good outcome.

Over the last 5 weeks I have had three embolisms that have cause a mostly total loss of vision in my right eye.

The first lasted 5 days, the second lasted 2 days and the third lasted about 12 hours.

After having all kinds of diagnostic tests a group of Ophthalmologist and myself have come to the hopeful conclusion that the cause of the embolisms is related to the stroke.

The clot broke up into many small "Sparkles", fragments. The theory is that they somehow migrated to the Artery that was blocked to cause the vision loss. The fragments must have dissolved, possibly by the Eliguist medication to eventually clear. The decreasing time for each following event may have bee due to the same thing.

I think that I am out of the woods except for the hole that is still between the upper chambers in my heart.

I have a follow up with the cardiologist to see about plugging the hole. Maybe some super glue, LOL.

Hopefully the blood thinner will help prevent future blood clots.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

So how are things going?

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Thanks for asking.

I had one very mild episode of having my vision dimmed , (the fourth time). It was so mild that I thought it might just be the cataract getting worse. Two hours later it cleared up completely so it was not the cataract but was a mild embolism episode.

I have almost decided to sell the RV I bought last year. I have only taken a few trips in the last year, (none since the stroke), and if I lost my vision on a trip I would be up a creek.

I am by myself when driving because Renae has a phobia about having to drive and she cannot or does not choose to drive an RV. She follows me in one of the cars.

 

[UTTransplant]

Bill, have a good, solid discussion about your driving situation with your doctor. He/she may just say wait until the treatment is completed before deciding to hang up the keys.

 

[jackiemac]

Bill I just saw your RV for sale post. Made me a bit sad. I was hoping your eyesight would have recovered. What have docs said?

 

[Arch Hoagland]

So how are things going for you young man?

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I have not had any more of the incidences of losing my vision.

Each of the four episodes was shorter in duration than the previous one.

The current diagnosis is that they were caused by particles left over after the clot buster drug broke it up into fragments and blocking the artery that supplies the right eye. The Eliguis, (blood thinner drug), must be working. It should also help prevent future clots.

I have had a few inquiries about the RV but I have told them that I am not sure if I am ready to hang up the keys.

Will see what happens.

 

[Rene T]

Speaking of clots has anyone looked into getting a watchman implant. My DW is getting it done. On the left side of your heart you have a pouch that does nothing. What happens is blood gets in there and in time can clot. Then if it sneaks out of that pouch it can go up to the brain and cause a stroke. She is on a blood thinner right now to try and stop clotting. After 45 days, she’ll be able to come off the blood thinner for good.
Note: the watchman seals the opening to the pouch so clots can’t get out.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Rene I'd be interested in following her progress with Watchman.

 

[Rene T]

Will do. The FDA approved the use of it in 2015 I believe so it’s been around for a while. If takes just about an hour to install. They go up a major artery starting at your groin just like they would performing a ablation which she also had and so did I. All Cardiologist should be aware of it but only a few are trained to install it.

 

[jackiemac]

Speaking of clots has anyone looked into getting a watchman implant. My DW is getting it done. On the left side of your heart you have a pouch that does nothing. What happens is blood gets in there and in time can clot. Then if it sneaks out of that pouch it can go up to the brain and cause a stroke. She is on a blood thinner right now to try and stop clotting. After 45 days, she’ll be able to come off the blood thinner for good.
Note: the watchman seals the opening to the pouch so clots can’t get out.

Hope it goes well for her Rene.

 

[eaglelmc]

HPVN, we will definitely put you on our prayer concern list, as a veteran myself, we owe you our thanks and prayers, God Bless

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Thank you Sir.

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I think that we have found the cure for the problem with losing my vision in my right eye.

Ten days ago it totally smoked out again and I could barely see out of the right eye.

I went to the Ophthalmologist again and they had no answer but they did send me to the ER for a full workup suspecting that I might be having another stroke. They also punted the problem to my Cardiologist.

He came up with the solution, hopefully a permanent solution.

We have all come to the conclusion that this is a vascular problem with the Ophthalmic artery in the brain.

He prescribed two drugs. The first one was a surprise to me. It was NitroGycerin and the second one was Plavix, a blood thinner. The Nitro helped open up the blood vessel and cleared up part of the smokey vision and after 2 days the Plavix cleared up the vision completely giving me very clear vision now in both eyes.

I was already on another blood thinner, (Eliquist) prescribed after the stroke. I also take baby aspirin.

I do have to be careful about bleeding. I cut my finger last night and it took three bandaids over a couple of hours to stop the bleeding.

Hopefully this is the last update on the eye problem

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Thanks for the update, glad to hear some progress is being made.

 

[Rene T]

Good to hear Bill

 

[jackiemac]

Fingers crossed!!

 

[Larry N.]

Hope you got it this time, Bill...

 

[JudyJB]

Very good news that your vision is better. You can handle bleeding issues, but remember, no skateboarding, skydiving, or turkey carving!!

In the beginning, you did a very good job of insisting that you get to see an ophthalmologist right away. Most people do not realize how serious a black curtain, blood spurt, or flashing lights are in your eye. You could not have waited two or three weeks, so good for you.

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Thanks Judy.

Oh Man, I got to give up sky diving.......

OK, being serious the sudden loss of vision is always an emergency.

I spent 10 years in Ophthalmology and we would never have told a patient with my symptoms to wait and come back next week like the practice here in Lake Havasu city did.

Fortunately I have many friends that are Ophthalmologist across the country and I was able to get an appointment the next morning in Las Vegas when this first happened.